This Love That We Share
by BriannaTheStrange
Summary: A series of Merricup drabbles centering around Merida's pregnancy with her and Hiccup's wee babby, leading up to her birth and infancy. Reviews are greatly appreciated!
1. Smalltalk

It had been a hectic day in Castle DunBroch. There were plenty of things that had to be done, especially for its new king and queen: King Hiccup and Queen Merida. Yes, the two had gotten married a few years prior, to Merida's parents delight. She met Hiccup when they were teens, and their relationship blossomed until they married in their early twenties. Elinor and Fergus were still alive and well, as were the teenage triplet boys who caused even more mischief than their younger selves, but the two new rulers managed.

The two lay facing each other on their sides in their bed. Hiccup rested his elbow against the mattress and held his head up with his fist while Merida lay her tired head down in the pillows and gazed up at him. They had been taking part in idle chitchat for the past few minutes and were simply enjoying each other's company. However, they were not the only two in their room at that time; there was also their unborn child that Merida harbored safely within her. Her rather large baby bump caused there to be a space in between the two, but neither minded one bit. Their baby was precious and both parents relished time they were all alone.

Merida slowly let her fingers trace soft, circular patterns on her swollen midsection, smiling softly as she did so. "Do…do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?" she quietly murmured to her husband, glancing up at him.

Hiccup smirked and clicked his tongue. "C'mon, Meri, you know my answer to that already." he huffed.

Her eyes flitted away for a moment as her lips turned to a pout. "Wellllll…tell me again."

"My answer hasn't changed: it's a girl. Just as beautiful and feisty as you."

The young queen blinked dreamily at him. "Plus gentle an' compassionate, like you."

Oh, how he beamed at that. "I love her so much already," he whispered, placing his hand atop Merida's that already lay on her belly. "I just can't wait for her to get here and actually _be_ with us, ya know?"

Merida nodded slowly and began to intertwine her fingers with his. "Aye. But I'm just…I suppose I'm a wee bit scared of that…"

"Of what?" he asked softly, his brow furrowing in concern.

"Well…I'm scared of the…the actual delivery an' such." Her body suddenly tensed and her eyes widened as possibilities flooded her mid. "W-wot if something goes wrong, Hic? Wot if I'm not strong enough?"

Hiccup shook his head and gripped her hand gently. "No, Merida, don't think like that…"

"W-what if…what if our wee babby…" Her voice caught in her throat as if she had chocked on her words. When she _was_ finally able to speak, it came out in a near broken whisper. "What if _she's_ not strong enough?"

He stared at her, his mouth open slightly as he tried to search for the proper words to comfort his beloved wife. Slowly he exhaled, moving his elbow aside and laying his head down on the pillow so as to look into her eyes. "Merida…listen to me. You are the strongest woman I've ever know, physically _and_ mentally. And I may not know a lot about babies, but I_ do _know they're half of each parent. So if she's _anything_ at all like you, she's going to be a-okay." The man then offered her a soft smile as he softly rubbed her belly. "Both of you have a strong will, I know it. Both of you are my brave girls…and both of you will be fine."

Merida closed her eyes momentarily and took in a series of soft breaths to calm herself. She and her baby seemed to share emotions, and the soon-to-be mother did not want to cause her unborn child any stress whatsoever. She then finally leveled her gaze with his, looking at her husband silently for several dragging moment. Finally a soft smile crept across her face as she whispered, "Thank you, Hic."

Hiccup leaned forward and rested his forehead gently against hers, using his free hand to caress her rosy cheek. "Of course," he chuckled, pressing his lips delicately to hers.

Instantly she melted into the kiss. All her troubles faded away at his gentle touch, and this particular display of affection made her feel as if they were the only two people left in the entire world. She then drew a short gasp and broke the osculation, causing Hiccup to look at her anxiously.

"Sorry," she chuckled, her eyes flitting downward. "Our wee lassie's actin' up again."

The viking exhaled in relief and wiped his forehead. "She tends to do that a lot, doesn't she? Guess she likes to be the center of attention."

"Aye…" she breathed, her voice growing tired. A smile then slowly but surely made its way across her lips as she took his hand and placed it flush against her stomach. "But I dodnae mind."

He couldn't help but grin at that. As the days and weeks went by, Merida said she could feel kicks and movements from their baby more than before, and that they were doing a number on her. He felt sympathy for his wife, for he knew he could never truly understand what it was like, but he was grateful when she let him experience these fascinating movements.

The two waited in silence for a few seconds, hoping to catch any sign of movement at all. "Oh, c'mon, girl," Hiccup cooed disappointedly to their baby, "Surely that wasn't the last kick o' the night?"

Merida giggled softly, rolling her eyes at his words. "Oh, I'm sure if we wait long enough she'll-oh!" Her face immediately broke into a bright smile as she felt a healthy kick against her belly. She looked up at Hiccup and admired the ecstatic grin plastered on his face. "I take it ye felt that one, eh?"

Hiccup nodded rapidly, massaging her stomach as he did so. "Oh man, she's tough! Just imagine if she was here with us. Like…_with_, with us. Lying right here between us…all squirmy and making tiny noises…" He sighed dreamily as he looked into her eyes. "Wouldn't that be somethin'?"

"It sure would…" she murmured, picturing the scene: The two of them lay on their sides as barriers for their baby who was situated between them. She imagined the baby was of course a girl, donning a tiny dress and wiggling her tiny little fists and feet about in the manner that all infants did. The thought caused her stomach to flutter, though she wasn't sure if it was just in her head or perhaps was caused by their baby. She gradually brought her hand to Hiccup's neck, drawing him impossibly closer to her.

His stomach rested against her baby bump as he tried to scoot closer to the redhead. He simply gazed into her eyes, reaching forward and moving a curl of fiery hair from her forehead. "I love you," he breathed, "So much…so much you'll never know."

Merida felt her insides do summersaults at his quiet words. "I love you, too." she whispered, running a hand gently through his brown locks. It caused her to wonder if their baby would have his or her hair. And what about the eyes? Would they be green or blue? Would she have freckles? There were so many unanswered questions that she wanted desperately to know. Truthfully, she wanted nothing more than to have their baby in her arms; to kiss her offspring's tiny head and hold her close in a motherly embrace. But, for now, she would settle with what she had in this moment. Her baby was obviously comfortable where she was, and it would still be a few months until she would arrive in the world.

"Hey," spoke Hiccup with a slight snicker, breaking the queen from her thoughts. "Watcha thinkin' about?"

Merida blinked slowly at him as she ran her fingers across her stomach, smiling at the slight fluttering sensation from the baby that came in response to her touch. "Everything." she hummed gently, taking her arms and wrapping them around his body. She nestled her head against his and closed her eyes, breathing in softly and feeling a sense of warmth as he did the same.

Slowly, the couple drifted into a peaceful slumber in each other's arms, their baby resting serenely along with them.


	2. Unexpected Gifts

The bright morning sun filtered in through the shades of Merida and Hiccup's room, a stray beam crossing the young queen's closed eyes and rousing her from a peaceful slumber. She blinked slowly and tried to move about but paused as she found she was unable to. Letting herself drift out of her sleepy state, she saw Hiccup's arms were wrapped around her, and her arms around him. A smile crossed her face as she remembered them falling asleep in each other's arms after experiencing a wondrous kick from their baby. Her thoughts then wandered to her unborn baby—she hadn't felt any kicks just yet this morning. Some days she awoke and they were at full force, but she let out a soft exhale of relief that perhaps today would be an easy day with her unborn child.

"Hey…Hic," she whispered, looking at his sleeping face. "Wake up, ye big lug."

Finally the king stirred, letting out a confused grunt as he pried his eyes open. Upon seeing Merida's face mere inches from his, he smiled brightly. "Good mornin'," he yawned, leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on her lips. "How's my lovely lady today?"

Merida smirked into the kiss, letting it invigorate her as she brought her hand to his cheek. "She's just grand, thank you." she murmured, straightening up his brown locks with her fingers. "How're you?"

"As good as I can be," He flashed one of his infamous toothy grins, causing a snicker to arise from his wife, which was the intention. "You uh…you wanna get out of bed?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "No, I would like tae stay in bed allll day, if et's all the same with you."

He stuck his tongue out and unraveled his arms from her body before he sat up in their bed, stretching upwards to the ceiling. "Anything pressing to attend to today?" he yawned as he rose to his feet and wandered to his wife's side of the bed.

As he walked, Merida used her elbows to prop herself up on the mattress. She grunted with the effort of supporting her body and let out a quick breath as she managed to sit up somewhat against the pillows. She looked down at her large, pregnant belly and sighed in exasperation. "Well, getting' out of bed is the first matter at hand." she groaned, all in good humor, as she extended a hand to his. The viking smiled and took her hand in his before assisting her out of bed. Merida gently cradled her stomach as she brought her legs to the side of the bed, waving a free hand softly. "Alright, I'm good."

"Y-you sure?" he pressed as she undid her hands from his. "Because if you need more help with anythin', I'll—"

"Hiii-iiiic, ye worry too much." A soft smile made its way across her lips as she caught sight of his thoroughly concerned expression. A hand placed gingerly under her belly, she managed to set two feet on the floor and straighten herself up. "I'm fine, see?"

Hiccup bit his lower lip, crossing his arms and tapping a foot. "I guess…" he grumbled, instantly straightening up. "B-but you need to be careful. Meri, you're eight months pregnant. You just…you need to be aware of things, you know?"

Merida raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh, c'mon now. I'm perfectly aware. Besides, _I'm_ the one who has tae _carry_ the wee bairn for nine months, ye know. I'm aware of her when she does somethin', an' I think I'll know when I'm getting' close tae actually bringin' her intae the world, but I still 'ave time till that day comes."

He looked her up and down with an incredulous eye. As much as he hated to admit it, his wife must know what she was talking about. Perhaps it was soon-to-be-mother's intuition, but he knew it was best to trust her. "I…oh, alright…" he finally murmured, taking a few steps towards her. "But I hope you know I'm only actin' like this because I'm lookin' out for you and our baby's best interest."

She smiled softly, taking his hands in hers. "I know, an' I appreciate et very much." A quiet, contented sigh soon escaped her lips as she studied his worried expression that lay etched on his face. "But…_try_ not tae worry so much. I feel fine, plus our wee lassie is safe and comfortable where she is. I don't think anythin' will happen suddenly."

A small grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "Guess I'll just have to take your word for it, eh?"

"Guess you will." she teased, poking his nose before wandering over to her drawers and sifting through them for a proper dress. It was particularly difficult these days, considering her now-enormous figure limited her to what she was able to wear.

Hiccup followed her lead, throwing on a clean shirt and pants. Before he knew it, he was ready to take on the day. Merida on the other hand-who had put on a fresh dress-was having some difficulties.

"Och! Goodness! This dress was fittin' fine for weeks an' _now_ et's too tight? Wonderful." she groaned, rolling back her shoulders in an attempt to relax herself as her voice dropped low. "Oh, my wee lassie, I cannae wait for you to arrive so that I dodnea have to get my dresses tailored every week…"

"Need any help?" Hiccup chuckled as he came up from behind and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist, letting his hands come to rest atop her belly.

She shook her head and lightly leaned in to him. "Oh, no. I'll just wear this… et has a wee bit of room to et, an' I doubt I'll grow another size in the coming hours." Her eyes slowly closed and she placed her hands atop his, smiling brightly at the sudden fluttering sensation in her belly that she was all-too familiar with. "Ahhh…_there_ she is, awake at last, the wee thing."

Hiccup rested his chin atop Merida's mass of orange curls and spread his hands open wide against her abdomen. "Good morning, little lady," he cooed as he tickled her stomach lightly before giving it a soft poke.

"Oh!" Merida gasped in surprise, breathing in sharply as their child kicked forcefully in what seemed to be a response. "H-Hic! Tone et down, will ye?"

"Sorry…" he piped sheepishly, kissing her neck softly and going over to her nightstand, retrieving the golden bands that she kept her long, curly hair in. He came up behind her and began tying her hair in even amounts to keep it from becoming too crazy during the day. It was a daily routine between them and Hiccup was more than happy to assist his wife in any way. "So…in all seriousness…anythin' going on today that I should know about?"

Merida smiled at the feeling of his nimble hands going to work and keeping her hair in check. She couldn't help but let her eyelids drift shut for the passing moments. "Well…no, not really. Not tha' I can think of a' the moment." she hummed, glancing over her shoulder. "Wot about you?"

Hiccup shrugged as he tied the last band around her hair. "Not much on this end either." Finished, he set his hands to her shoulders and turned her to face him, smiling warmly. "I'm sure we'll figure something out."

Locking their elbows together, the couple exited their bedroom and made their way into the main hall, which—when not used for clan meetings and processions-was where the family ate. As they descended the stairs, Merida could see her parents and brothers were already assembled at the table. The chairs has been rearranged long ago so that instead of sitting at two separate heads of the table, Merida and Hiccup sat right by each other at one end, the triplets in the middle, and Merida's parents were together at the end. It all worked out quite nicely.

Elinor smiled brightly at the sight of her daughter and son-in-law. "Good mornin', you two." she called, rising to her feet as the couple reached the last step. Hiccup stood aside as the mother and daughter held each other's hands and stood face to face. "How are you feelin' today, Merida? Anythin' botherin' you? I know _you_ were quite a pain around this time when I was pregnant with you an' all…"

Merida rolled her eyes and shook her mother's hands slightly. "I'm _fine_ mum." she sighed, straightening up as he mother pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes incredulously. "No, really, I feel totally fine. The baby is jus' movin' around a lot, that's all. Nothin' I can't handle."

The former queen smiled warmly at her daughter, allowing her brown eyes to cast themselves down upon her rounded midsection. "Aye…I know you can handle et. You've done so beautifully these past months, an' I understand et's not easy in the least."

"Heh, not easy at all. But et's been interestin'." chuckled the redhead , releasing her hands from her mother's grip so that she could lay her palms comfortably on either side of her belly. She could _just_ sense the tiny movements within her that the baby was the cause of, and it made a large smile cross her face. "I think she's takin' a break from prodding me too much at the moment."

Elinor placed her fingers to her lips as she giggled, "Oh, savor lulls like these."

"Elinor!" called Fergus from his spot at the table, raising a brow. "Are ye gonna tell the two about wot arrived fer them this mornin', lass?"

Merida glanced at her father in surprise before casting her eyes to Hiccup, who was just about to take his seat at the table. "Somethin' here for us t'day?" she asked, turning her attention back to her mother.

"Ah, how could I forget? Merida, look there—see that crate over there? Et came this mornin'!" She gestured to a rather large wooden crate that the redhead queen had failed to notice by the main entrance to the great hall.

Hiccup walked over to his wife, taking her hand and leading her to the box. "Really? Who's it from?" he asked his mother in-law as she strode along with them. "I don't remember us getting any shipments around now…"

"Appears et's from all three lords. At least, that's wot the note says." She produced a note with each of the other three clans wax seals on it-Macintosh, MacGuffin and Dingwall-and handed it to her daughter.

Merida smiled, watching as her husband began prying open the crate. "Well, that's quite nice of them…I wonder wot et could be!" Her gaze scanned over the note, smiling as she thought of her three friends who used to be her suitors. It amazed her that they were now the Lord's of their clans.

"Well, see for yourself!" piped Hiccup, removing the top lid with a grin. Peeking inside, the couple was delighted at the sight they behold: gifts from each clan for their baby! From what they could see, there were rattles, tiny wooden toys (which they had a multitude of, though they were mostly bear-related), a rather comfortable looking baby blanket, and even a few tiny dresses. Word must have spread that the couple were very certain their baby would be a girl.

"Oh, how thoughtful of them!" chuckled Merida in delight, smiling as Hiccup handed her one of the dresses. She held it in front of her and sighed dreamily, picturing her baby wearing it comfortably. It made her heart swell with joy-even more so as she allowed herself to look over all the other gifts hidden within. "They're all so wonderful… Oh, Hic, we really should send them a thank you, don't ye think?"

Hiccup rose to his feet with a tiny rattle in hand, shaking it in front of her nose with a grin. "Absolutely!" He then bent down to her belly, shaking the rattle and placing a soft kiss atop the taught fabric. "And _you_ will have to write them a thank you once you're old enough, missy!"

The redhead shook her head softly in amusement, placing a hand to her back and using another to gently stroke her belly. "Well, that won't be for quite some time… So until then, one from the two of us will have to suffice."

"Wot do you say we have this taken upstairs tae your room?" suggested Elinor as she took a step beside her daughter, placing a motherly kiss upon her cheek and setting a hand to her shoulder. "You an' Hiccup can eat. The boys can take care of et."

The teenage triplets, who at the time were scarfing down their breakfast and chatting away, turned in their chairs with thoroughly irritated looks.

"Muuu-uuum! C'mon!" whined Hamish.

"Can't dad do et?" huffed Hubert.

"Aye! We're eatin'!" cried Harris.

Elinor turned herself towards them and straightened herself up. "_Boyyyysss…_" she grumbled in a sharp tone, narrowing her eyes at them in annoyance. That was quite enough persuasion; the three hopped up and started carrying the crate like they were being paid to do it.

"Yer lucky ya can hardly move, Mer." grumbled Hamish with a grin as he and the other two lifted up the rather heavy crate and began wobbly walking towards the stairs.

"Oh, shut it." huffed Merida, crossing her arms and watching with an amused eye as they walked past her. "I _still_ catch you three stealin' my desserts from time to time…you owe me."

Each triplet grumbled in response, leaving Merida and Hiccup to laugh softly over their antics. "Now then," began Elinor calmly, gesturing to the table. "Let's sit down and have breakfast, shall we? You need energy, darling, and so does that wee babby of yours."

"_More_ energy for the babby?" gasped Merida incredulously as she began to slowly walk to the table. "If she gets any more, I'm certain she'll kick her way out today!"

Hiccup couldn't help but chuckle as he pulled out her seat for her. "Well, wouldn't that be nice, though? We wouldn't have to wait another month or so!" As his wife sat down, he took his seat next to her. "I…I really can't wait for her to arrive, to be honest."

Merida smirked at him, taking his hand under the table and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I can't wait either." she murmured quietly, taking his hand and placing it softly on her belly. She smiled as she could sense the tiny movements of their baby through his hand, and soon felt a surprisingly pleasant kick against her. The young queen leaned in and pressed her lips to his, not caring the slightest if her parents were watching the exchange. "An' et will be a very special day for us all."


	3. Inabilities

After finishing their breakfast, Merida and Hiccup decided to take a slow walk around the castle grounds. Elbows locked, the couple strode from the great hall and down the multitude of passageways. They took time to admire the elaborate tapestries and pictures that lined the walls, both chuckling at the thought of how they would not have much time to linger on details much once the baby arrived. All time would be devoted to caring for the wee one, and both parents were more than excited (and perhaps already exhausted) at the prospect.

Hiccup then found that Merida was pulling him out of the castle, through the courtyard, and to the stables. The stables were where Toothless stayed during the warm months, as well as an aging Angus.

"Good mornin', Angus," the redhead murmured excitedly as he approached his stall. The horse whinnied in delight, bending his head downward and pressing his snout to her cheek. "Ohhh, how's my good lad?"

The viking smiled warmly at the sight he beheld, but was quickly distracted as Toothless ran from his own personal stall and excitedly tackled him to the ground. "Hey!" laughed Hiccup in a gasp, writhing as the dragon rapidly licked his face with a slobbery tongue in greeting. "GAH! T-Toothless, c'mon, bud! Get off!"

Merida turned and watched the humorous scene unfold before her. "Oh, good mornin', Toothless!" she chuckled, opening Angus' stall door for him to roam before she wandered towards the dragon and her husband. Toothless chirped in delight as he rolled off of Hiccup and sauntered towards the queen, his eyes bright and tongue lolling out of his mouth. Merida leaned downward slightly and stroked the Night Fury's cheek with her hand, grinning as he pressed his nose gently into her distended belly and purred softly. "Aye, lad. The baby will come soon an' you'll have a new playmate! You won't need tae tackle poor Hiccup too much, I hope."

At this, Hiccup finally lifted himself to his feet while rubbing slobber from his face. "W-well, not right away, bud!" he called, stumbling towards his wife and dragon. "The baby is going to be very small and fragile, so there won't be any playing right away."

"Oh, please." sighed Merida under breath with a roll of her eyes. "Hic, I thought we discussed this. You don't need tae worry so much."

Hiccup hung his head downward in exasperation and looked up at the redhead from the top of his eyes. "Sorryyyy," he drawled quietly, grinning softly as he approached his wife. He placed splayed hands on either side of her belly and leaned in, letting his lips gently press into hers.

Merida's eyes popped at the sudden gestured, but she soon melted deep into the kiss with a pleased smile. She let her hands wander atop his and lace their fingers together. "You know…" she whispered as their lips momentarily parted. "We won't be able tae do things like this in front of the baby when she arrives…"

Hiccup quirked a brow and led their hands to the very front of her pregnant belly. "Oh, but the baby won't know what's goin' on, will she?" He leaned downward and pressed his forehead to hers, staring into her eyes dreamily. "Unless she's born quite smart to know what kissing, especially with passion, is…"

The queen instantly cracked a grin at her husband's words. "Oh hush. Just…we need to be careful around her in certain…_situations_."

"Oh, _now_ you want to be careful…"

Merida huffed in mock anger, gripping his fingers lightly and pulling him in to a deep kiss. Hiccup let out a muffled noise of surprise, though surprise soon turned to contentment as he smiled into the osculation.

In the meantime, Angus and Toothless stood beside each other in complete and utter confusion. Glancing at each other, the dragon gave a puzzled purr to the horse who whinnied quietly and shook his head from side to side. Agitated, Toothless yapped and nudged his head against Hiccup's leg.

"Heh?" murmured the viking as he turned his head and looked downwards at his companion. "Whaaat? You jealous you aren't getting' any attention, bud?" Toothless huffed and stomped his feet anxiously on the ground, and Hiccup's face brightened with understanding. "Ohhhh! You wanna go for a fly! That's it, isn't it, bud?"

The dragon's ears perked up and he began leaping about excitedly at the man's words. He then leaned down to the dragon's level and placed a hand to his nose before looking up at Merida. "Mind if Toothless and I go for a fly?"

Merida smiled softly and gave a little nod. "Oh…sure." she murmured quietly, looking over as Angus came to her side and nudged her cheek gently with his snout. "Go on."

Hiccup glanced upwards at his wife before rising to his feet. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"Nothin's the matter."

"Ohhhh, I think I know when something's the matter with you, Merida."

Merida narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. "Et's just…I…I can hardly do anythin' anymore, Hic!" she groaned loudly, running a hand through her curly locks in irritation. "I miss bein' able to fly with you an' Toothless! I miss ridin' on Angus! I haven't been able to do archery for months! I…I miss just being able to _do_ things!"

Hiccup stared at her in surprise. He was aware of her inability to be able to do these and many other things, but she had never expressed this much aggravation in the fact that she could not do them in her current physical state. His heart ached at her pained expression and as he tried to imagine what it felt like. If he couldn't ride Toothless, well, he would surely go insane! He slowly came towards her, tilting his head gently to the side and letting his gaze wander over her distressed face.

"Merida…I know it's tough to not be able to do what you love…" he began, smirking as she turned her head away. "But…when you think about it…what's_ causing_ that is something you love."

Slowly she turned to face him, looking straight into his eyes. It was true; it was their baby—the child she already loved so dearly—who inhibited her from doing things she loved. Her eyes shifted to the side as she mulled over the thought. She gradually let a hand drift to the front of her stomach and gently feel the swollen area underneath the taught fabric of her dress. Her face brightened slowly as she felt a tiny kick in response to her touch, and she was unable to keep herself from releasing a small chuckle. "I…I suppose so." she murmured, a smile tugging at her lips.

Hiccup straightened upward as he walked happily towards her, taking the hand that hung at her side. "And soon enough, she'll be in your arms…real and right here."

Merida's eyes squinted as moister built up in them. Soon enough, small waterfall of pleased tears cascaded down her rosy cheeks. She laughed breathily as the tears continued on, leaning her face into the nape of Hiccup's neck. The queen's shoulders relaxed as she felt his hands rubbing slow, calming circles in her back. "Sorry," she sniffed.

"Hey, don't be sorry. All these emotions right now are just our baby's way of letting you know she's right here with us, right?" he chuckled, kissing her temple.

"R-right," she laughed as she sucked in a much-needed breath and burrowed into his brown locks. "O-oh, goodness…I'm a mess, a-aren't I?"

"Somewhat," Hiccup chuckled, leaning backwards somewhat to look her at the face. He flashed her a toothy grin as he gently held her chin up with his hand. "But it will pass soon enough. You won't be the one cryin' soon. That place will be taken by the baby."

Merida laughed softly at his remark and leaned into the palm of his hand as it moved to her cheek. "Hiccup…do you think we're ready for this baby?" Her voice was soft and sincere, though a hint of doubt lingered.

The viking stood up straight and nodded his head without hesitation. "Of course we are, Merida. We've…we've been waiting for a baby for…how many years now?" He snickered as he remembered them as teens, thinking about what their future child would be like. They were too young then to have children. Years later, Merida discovered she was finally pregnant, and preparations were immediately put into effect. The entire family was on board-Elinor, Fergus, the triplets…even Hiccup's father Stoic who lived back on Berk; he and Hiccup's friends made a promise to always be there if help was needed for the wee one. "And now our baby we've wanted for so long is almost here! Our little girl we made together with love will soon be with us, and I know that you and I will make the best parents ever for her."

Merida slowly dabbed her moistened eyes with the sleeve of her dress at his positive words. A grin soon cracked her face and a delighted laugh escaped her lips as she flew forward, grabbing his cheeks in her hands, and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

The viking gasped into the kiss, but soon let his arms slither around the redhead's waist and pull them both deeper into the kiss. Sometimes Merida's hormones were all out of whack-she could be boiling mad one minute and blissfully calm the next. She could be in tears for a split second and then snap into a creature of ecstasy in a heartbeat. It all came with the baby, and he and Merida both loved them no matter what emotion the mother felt.

Toothless and Angus watched on bewilderment, glancing at each other before slowly wandering off on their own throughout the courtyard.

It was obvious neither of them would be getting ridden this day…not with their human companions preoccupied in such an affectionate way.


End file.
